Eric Gordon plays his first NBA game in his home state Friday, but the rookie still sometimes thinks about the turmoil that wrecked his one season at Indiana University.

Coach Kelvin Sampson was embroiled in a recruiting scandal that led to his ouster, but Gordon said there was another key reason for the rift in the team.

“It was the guys that were doing drugs that were separate,” Gordon told The Indianapolis Star in an exclusive telephone interview earlier this week, speaking publicly for the first time about the issues that played a part in a once top-10 team failing to win a single postseason game.

The Hoosiers started 17-1 but lost their first game of the Big Ten Tournament and first game of the NCAA Tournament.

Gordon didn’t say which players used drugs, but he said D.J. White and two others still on the team were among those who did not. Attempts to reach White and several other former players were not successful.

Gordon said Sampson “tried to stop it,” but the coach “was just so focused on basketball and winning and everything.”

Gordon said he spent considerable time with a family friend in Bloomington because the atmosphere around some players was so bad he didn’t feel comfortable on campus.

“Sometimes it felt like it wasn’t even a real basketball team because of all the turmoil that went on,” said Gordon, now a starting guard for the Los Angeles Clippers. “I was just thinking about that the other day. It was so crazy that all that stuff threw off a good season and made it a waste, basically.

“It was really tough for us to be around each other all the time off the court because we were so separate.”

All anyone is going to remember about Eric Gordon today is that he gave up a 4-point play to eventually lose the game.

Stealth5

It was a normal play. They got lucky. What if he missed 3 pointer & made only 2 free throws?

Kevin

So I guess Gordon is still blaming the terrible second half of his freshmen season on “injuries.” Lung/nasal injuries, perhaps?

Clipper Derrick

Hey … at least we don’t have to worry about Eric abusing illicit substances! I think (hope) the Clips are going to bounce back from this loss and sweep the rest of the road trip …

pete mack

I have a feeling Clipper fans will look back on this game weeks, months, years down the road and say who cares. If you think a 19 yr old kid is coming into a grown man’s league without making any mistakes you’re expecations are too high. He plays with intensity and energy, and I will take whatever mistakes that come from that.

EricGordonsCocaineJitters

Dude had to be on drugs to commit that foul. No one can be that stupid sober.

cliptakular

you gordon haters should just shut the f- up. maybe if baron would have shot more than 40% for once, we could’ve won that game.

your blaming gordon for one play? yes, there is no excuse for that one play but he had a great game overall.

if BD would have at least made 7-23 instead of 6-23, we’d won the game.

neiljphx

I wonder if it was more than weed, as it seems like there’s smokers throughout the league. And I don’t know how you could play on anything else.

Although Dock Ellis claims to have thrown a no hitter on acid so….

jon y

i doubt it was just weed… a lot of people ball high. hell, i’ve balled with people coked out before… and phil jackson did credit his grasp of teamwork to playin on acid.

i don’t know the exact situation, but it worries me that it sounds like ej is blaming his bad season on others.

neiljphx

holy crap…i mention dock ellis and he passes away a day later.
r.i.p.
reading more on him, it appears he was a bit of a warrior/tralblazer and i’m not talking about hoops. salute!